More sophisticated in vitro models of
the liver that better predict in vivo physiological
responses are important for drug discovery. While animal
models remain costly and time-consuming, many 3D culture
models fail to reconstruct the in vivo human physiology.
This has led to the development of perfused bioreactors
for 3D tissue culture to more closely recapitulate the
cellular microenvironment in vivo by controlling oxygen
concentration gradients and providing biomechanical
stimuli. Hydrogel scaffold inserts are patterned for
culturing cells in 3D under perfusion and provide a
permeable matrix with mechanical properties that more
closely resemble native tissue. This perfusion culture
platform can be adapted to study drug toxicity of multiple
cell types such as lung, liver, and heart.